


Red Eclipse: Beyond Fire

by OneBoyz



Category: ONEUS (Band)
Genre: Fantasy, M/M, Magic, War
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-25
Updated: 2020-12-01
Packaged: 2021-03-09 01:02:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,556
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27195514
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OneBoyz/pseuds/OneBoyz
Summary: Many moons ago, six human monarchs came together to vanquish the most ancient, deepest evil, Helios.Helios’ soul was trapped, as the red moon set.The stars reignited and a prophecy was born – when the red moon rises, once again, Helios will be back, whispering darkness, poisoning souls.A thousand years later, the bloodlines of the monarchs are lost, the prophecy forgotten, the stories overshadowed.And yet, the red moon rises.What hope do mere mortals have in the face of Helios?
Relationships: Kim Geonhak | Leedo/Lee Seoho, Kim Youngjo | Ravn/Yeo Hwanwoong, Lee Keonhee/Son Dongju | Xion
Comments: 14
Kudos: 46





	1. Regulus

**Author's Note:**

> Obviously inspired by ONEUS' Lived universe but it doesn't follow the exact story of the music videos. As always comments are love.

It was colder than he had expected. Winter was still young.

The snow crunched under the hooves of the horse he was riding, his prized steed. He drew his woolen cloak tighter around him, hoping his companion would not notice in the dark. The crickets chirped morosely in the distance, interrupted by the rhythmic clip-clopping of the heels of their horses and the occasional whinnies.

“We should go back now, your majesty.”

Youngjo clicked his tongue.

“I told you to call me by my name when we’re alone, Geonhak.”

“Sorry, your majesty.”

“Honestly, Geonhak. You’ve called me by my name our entire lives!” 

They were childhood friends. Geonhak had been one of the young boys chosen to keep the young prince company, play with him, serve him. They studied under the same teachers, from worldly knowledge to sword fighting. Once Geonhak turned 16, he joined the royal army. He was talented and he rose through the ranks quickly, until he was appointed as the head of the crown prince’s personal guard. 

“Yes, but it’s different now,” Geonhak mumbled, his voice lower than usual.

They passed a fallen oak, dimly lit by the twilight. The trees around them were thinning – they were approaching the end of the woods, but on the opposite end to where they had come in. 

“Because I’m the King now?”

“Exactly.”

His father had been bedridden for a whole year so he knew it was coming. He had already been doing a lot of the formalities, stepping in for the King when needed. When he finally passed, even though it was expected, Youngjo had felt hollow. It was hard to be close to a father who held responsibilities for thousands of people but the King had always tried to make Youngjo feel more special than his other subjects. In his own way, he had tried his best to be a good father to him. Youngjo revered him, and loved him.

He had barely begun to grieve when he had been thrown full-force into the responsibilities that came with the crown. Since becoming the King, he had felt the way people acted around him had changed. They bowed longer, spoke softer, were more sycophantic. It was all part of it but he had never expected to lose his best friend in the process. He had noticed that Geonhak was more guarded around him, keeping his distance, going out of his way to maintain formality. It irked him immensely, he had not asked for it.

“I don’t care what you do in front of other people or in court, but when it’s just the two of us, you’re my best friend. I order you to act like one.”

He could hear Geonhak’s low chuckle carried in the breeze.

“Is that an order from the King?”

“I could kick you right now.”

“It’d be an honour.” His voice had changed and he knew Geonhak was now teasing him. Satisfied, he started humming his favourite song.

“We should go back now, it’s getting dark. We’ve come a long way from the palace.”

After entertaining dignitaries at the palace all day, he had grown tired of the fake smiles and perfunctory conversation. He knew he had to get away from it all, even if it was for a while, and smell the fresh air.

“Let’s go a bit further,” he pressed. He didn’t really have a destination in his mind but he just felt that right now, this was the right way.

“It’s not safe, your majesty.”

He purposefully pretended not to hear him.

“Youngjo-ah, don’t be stubborn. You’re the King now, you’ll have many enemies.”

“I don’t care how many enemies I have, as long I have my best friend beside me.” He turned his head to look at the brawny man next to him, his blonde fringe peeking out from under his hood.

Geonhak snorted. “I’m not your keeper.”

“That’s exactly what you are, Kim Geonhak. You are my protector.”

“We both know you’re no maiden in distress.” 

That was true. With a sword in his hand, Youngjo was a formidable force. While he did enjoy peace a lot more than war and preferred a brush in his hand rather than a spear, if it came to it, he could easily defend himself from enemies. Usually, the crown prince became the general of the army but he had broken the tradition, content with one of his half-brothers taking the spot. That was not the only tradition he had broken.

“Well-” 

Before he could finish what he was about to say, Geonhak pressed a finger to his lip, telling him to be quiet. He was frowning, turning his head slightly to the side. He brought his horse to a halt; Youngjo followed suit. In the relative silence, he heard something he had not picked up before. The sound of snow and dried leaves crunching as something made its way towards them from the left. A wild animal? No…it sounded like one pair of feet, light, urgent.

“Who goes there?” Geonhak suddenly called out, his hand on the hilt of his sword. “Show yourself, by the order of the King.”

As his eyes followed Geonhak’s gaze, he saw something between the trunks, difficult to make out in the darkness that was growing every moment.

“By the order of the King-”

“I don’t have a king.” The voice was firm, but not threatening. It was melodic even. As the footsteps grew closer, he saw a man, much shorter than himself, with grey hair and a sharp jawline step into the clearing. 

“You’re in the presence of his majesty, King Youngjo, king of the Kingdom of Moon, Lord of the eastern peninsula, from the Dongbaek mountains to-”

“Save your breath,” the man laughed airily. He didn’t bow. “As I said, I don’t have a king.”

There was a sharp intake of breath.

“You’re an outlaw!”

“That’s what you call us, but we just don’t believe in one person making decisions for all of us. We have different philosophies, I suppose.”

The outlaws were a group of people in the kingdom who did not recognize the royalty and opposed the rule of a king. They weren’t threatening or aggressive in any way – they just refused to recognize a king. They lived in a small community across the woods. While they were considered traitors to the royalty previously, it was actually Youngjo’s father who had decriminalized being an outlaw. He had stopped the many acts of cruelty that used to be common practice before. Youngjo completely agreed with his father’s decision. 

“You should be glad that the rules have changed or I would have beheaded you right here for treason,” Geonhak growled. He was furiously loyal to the royal family and believed being an outlaw was treason.

“Well, maybe,” the man smiled, stroking the bow peeking out from above his shoulder. “If you had the chance.”

“I’m not going to ask you to bow in front of me,” Youngjo finally spoke, slightly amused by the turn of events. He had never met an outlaw before. All that mattered was outlaws were human beings too and they had a right to their own beliefs and ways of living. As long as they were not causing trouble in his land, he didn’t have a problem with them not declaring their loyalty to him.

The man peered up at him curiously, taking a few steps forward, causing Geonhak to grunt warningly. As a sliver of the dying sun caught his face, Youngjo saw that he had beautiful almond shaped eyes and a jawline sharper than the sword by him. He felt a little tingle in the pit of his stomach.

It wasn’t a secret to himself that he found men beautiful, that his eyes always strayed towards boys rather than girls. But this was the first time he actually felt something for someone, and that too a complete stranger.

“Are you really the king? You’re so young, so handsome.” The man blushed all of a sudden, probably realizing what he had said. 

Beside him, Geonhak let out a low growl, as if rearing to attack.

“Don’t you dare address the king so casually,” he warned.

“I’m Yeo Hwanwoong,” the man said, ignoring the threatening man beside him and staring straight at Youngjo. He blinked and Youngjo wondered if he actually was trying to, if he had the audacity to, wink at him. “It’s an honour to meet the king in person.”

“Do not jest-” 

Youngjo urged his horse forward a few steps, as if captivated by the man in from him. 

“Yeo Hwanwoong,” he breathed, watching a wisp of smoke rise with his breath. His name was just as beautiful as he was. Soft flakes started falling, mingling with Yeo Hwanwoong’s silver hair. An angel began to sing. It was as if he was in a dream.

“Who’s that? Are there more of your friends around?” Geonhak’s sharp voice cut through his fantasy. “Youngjo, come back here, we need to leave now. We don’t know what these sneaky rats are up to.”

“What are you talking about Geonhak?” he asked, a bit annoyed by his best friend’s paranoia. He was trying to have a moment here.

“Can’t you hear the singing?”

“Wait, you can hear it too? It’s not in my head?”

He looked at Hwanwoong, who nodded.

“I can hear it too, but it’s not one of us.”

The voice was oddly familiar, singing a familiar song. It was growing louder and louder, as the owner of the voice approached in their direction. Without a warning, Geonhak drew his sword.

“It’s a trap,” he hissed, glaring at Hwanwoong venomously.

“It’s not,” Hwanwoong replied in a bored voice, “at least not one set by me.”

The singing stopped; there was a moment of silence before there was sound of a pair of feet running towards them. Within seconds, a tall figure came into view, wearing a deep blue cloak. He was dressed fashionably under the cloak, not a hair out of place, and powder on his face, his eyes lined heavily with charcoal.

“Your majesty! I thought I recognized your voice.” Even his speaking voice was mellifluous. 

“What are you doing here?” Geonhak hopped off his horse, sword still drawn, a scowl adorning his forehead. “It’s late, what are you doing outside the palace?”

“Do you know him, Geonhak?”

“He’s one of the palace concubines.”

“I’m one of the palace entertainers, not a concubine! A singer, to be exact,” the tall man said, clearly affronted.

“Same difference.”

“Excuse me, I’m an artist, a master of my trade-”

That explained the angelic singing voice that sounded so familiar to him. He didn’t really know any of the palace singers by face. 

“Well, what are you doing here then?” 

“I-” For the first time, the tall man looked sheepish, as if he didn’t know what to say. Instead he bowed deeply in front of Youngjo. 

“Answer the question.”

The palace residents were not allowed out in the night, for fear that they might conspire with enemy spies. They had to have these rules in the place, for safety. However, the tall slender man in front of him did not seem like a traitor – besides, he would have to be incredibly stupid to sing so loudly in his own voice while trying to go meet a spy.

“I- I heard a song. I was following it, it was calling out to me. I couldn’t get it out of my head so I followed it and it brought me here.” He looked around, as if seeing something others couldn’t see. “It’s here. This is the place where it was coming from.”

His eyes met Geonhak’s, who had a stoic expression on his face. It meant he didn’t believe his story.

“Why don’t you tell us why you’re here, and this time the truth,” Geonhak stepped forward, pointing the sharp end of his sword at the man’s neck. The tall man cowered in fear and screamed. Youngjo was sure his ear drums had burst at the shrill noise.

“I swear, I brought my friend, he will tell you-”

Someone else stepped out of the shadows of the trees, panting. Crouching down with his hands on his knees, he wheezed.

“Keonhee, you idiot, why did you have to run? I told you I don’t do exercise.”

This man, about a head shorter than his friend, was strangely familiar too. The edges of his cloak were decorated in silver. Only the royal family were allowed to wear clothes with golden patterns. Silver patterns were reserved for those from noble houses. The pattern on this nobleman’s cloak was unique to the palace.

“Help me, Dongju, help me!” the taller man, who was called Keonhee, cried.

Straightening his back, he took in the scene in front of him.

“You clown,” he scolded, “what have you done now?” His reaction made it seem like his friend got into trouble frequently. He turned to face Youngjo and bowed reverently. “Your majesty, I apologise for my foolish friend and whatever trouble he has caused. He means well, he’s just not very bright.”

“Hey!” Keonhee protested.

“I’m Son Dongju, one of the royal scholars, your majesty.”

“Son Dongju?” Hwanwoong suddenly looked interested. “The poet? I have read all your works. You’re so talented! I didn’t expect you to be so…young.”

Son Dongju laughed. “Talent is something you’re born with." He gave Hwanwoong a curious once-over before turning to his friend. "Sire, I’d be very grateful if you sheathed your sword.” He addressed Geonhak directly, his voice unwavering.

Now Geonhak had an impressing, fear-inducing figure. Geonhak with a naked sword in his hand was a sight that would make a lot of people cower with fear, like Keonhee. But the scholar looked absolutely unbothered by the physique of the man he was addressing. He was calmer than the lazily gliding snowflakes on his shoulder.

“You know you’re not allowed out of the palace after nightfall,” Youngjo said as Geonhak seemed to have forgotten how to speak after being addressed by Dongju.

“I do apologise your majesty, I heard, well Keonhee here heard someone singing, and he had to follow. Even though he likes to speak, he has a keen sense of hearing.”

“You’re trying to tell me he heard singing all the way here, at the edge of the woods from the palace?” 

Even though it was a ridiculous lie, there was something about the way Dongju spoke that made him believe him. Wisdom twinkled in his eyes, which looked older beyond their years. Dongju could not have been more than 20 years old, but there was something very ancient about him; perhaps it was because he was a scholar who had accumulated so much knowledge over the years.

“I swear,” Keonhee squealed. “I know I can’t explain but it had happened to me before, I sometimes hear things that no one can-”

Returning to himself, Geonhak finally rolled his eyes, but sheathed his sword anyway.

“Let’s get you all back to the palace,” he growled, avoiding looking at Dongju’s direction. “And you, consider yourself lucky and go back to your hut,” he told Hwanwoong.

He was about to mount his horse when they heard a loud cracking noise, followed by a tree branch landing at the feet of Youngjo’s steed. In a moment, Geonhak had drawn his sword again, pulled Youngjo down from the horse and pushed him down close to the ground behind him, his left-hand clutching onto Youngjo’s cloak and his right wielding his mighty sword.

“I’m sorry, I'm sorry, that’s my fault,” they heard someone say. The voice was coming from higher up one of the trees. 

“Show yourself!”

As ordered, a man jumped down from a high branch and landed on his feet gracefully. He was wearing a thick sheepskin coat and a fluffy scarf hid the bottom half of his face. He had flaming red hair that was still visible in the dying sunset glow.

“Your Majesty,” the man kneeled in front of Geonhak, as Youngjo was right now snugly hidden behind him.

“Who are you and what is your business here?”

“I do apologise for hiding. But I was…curious why there were so many people gathered here. I didn’t want any trouble.”

“You haven’t answered the questions.” Youngjo rose to his feet, towering above Geonhak. This was turning stranger and stranger. The woods were normally quiet – no one came here, especially not at night. 

“Sorry, your majesty. I’m Lee Seoho, I’m an astronomer from the Star Tower.” 

The Star Tower was located at the edge of his kingdom on the west. It was a good place to study the stars and planets from and all the royal astronomers resided there. But it was many miles away from the woods and would take at least half a day to get there by foot. 

“I came here tonight because from our calculations, tonight is the night when Regulus shines the brightest in the sky. We should be able to see it shine in the sky, and this is the best place to view it from. If that is indeed the case, then ten days from now, we will witness the red eclipse. I have been sent as the representative of the astronomers of the Tower.”

“You?” Geonhak turned his nose. “You look not above 20 years, why would they send you?”

“I am 24 years, sire. But the reason they sent me is because none of them could have made the half-a-day journey from the Tower all the way to the edge of the wood.”

The red eclipse – everyone knew about the red eclipse, it was a well-known lore. A thousand years ago, a red moon had been seen in the sky and there was a prophecy that the red moon would alight the night sky again. ANd it's coming would be preceded by Regulus, one of the brightest stars. He had no idea the astronomers were actually tracking it.

“Well, don’t let us disturb you from watching your star. Geonhak, let’s go.” He walked over to his horse, ready to jump onto his back, when Seoho suddenly screamed, “There it is, your majesty, that’s Regulus!”


	2. The Cursed Star

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Comments keep me fed :)

Seoho watched the star mesmerized, almond shape and blindingly bright, shining in the sky, just above where the king was standing with his horse. His heart leapt to his throat. 

For all his life, he had been hearing about Regulus. His grandfather had told him that he was lucky to be born in a time when Regulus was supposed to take centre stage. As a child, he had an immense love for all astronomical bodies, but the stars were his favourite. They winked at him, sang to him, played with him when he had no one to play with. Sometimes, he sang back to the stars. Today, his dream had come true.

Of course he had not imagined that he would be sighting Regulus for the first time with a group of strangers. It was supposed to be a special moment between him and the star, but by some strange turn of luck, there were many that were gathered here, including the king.

In a way it was befitting. Regulus was a royalty among stars and it made sense that all these people were here to witness its beauty. Perhaps, it was actually Regulus who had drawn these people out of their beds and onto the front row, from where they could bask in Regulus’ glory.

“It is beautiful,” the King said, his eyes fixed on the bright star. “Do stars really shine this bright?”

“Not all of them, it's only Regulus,” Seoho said. “Your majesty,” he added hastily, feeling the swordsman’s burning gaze on him. He must be the king’s guard. He was just as tall as he was but was probably about double his width. Even though he was wearing a heavy cloak, he could feel that he was all muscles underneath it.

“It’s a sight to behold,” the outlaw, who had introduced himself as Hwanwoong earlier, said. 

When Seoho first realized that there were people in the woods where it was supposed to be just him, he had hidden in one of the trees. He didn’t know why he had hidden, it was instinctual; he didn’t know who the horsemen were and he was aware that sometimes burglars travel on horseback. But one after another, more people joined and he felt it was safer to just stay hidden. Just springing out of a tree when at least three people here were armed didn’t seem like a very good idea.

“This means…the red eclipse is near.” 

He turned to see who had spoken – it was the royal scholar, in his richly embroidered robes. He was staring at Regulus intently, but there was something else apart from admiration on his face that he couldn’t quite place in the darkness. It almost seemed like…apprehension?

“Ten days from the arrival of the Regulus,” Seoho explained. The astronomers had not been able to explain what caused the red eclipse a thousand years ago. However, this was a chance for them to study it firsthand and finally find an answer to the mystery.

The scholar raised a hand to his mouth – Seoho noticed the fine tremor in his hand. There was no mistaking this time, Son Dongju was afraid. The question was why.

“Y-your Majesty,” Dongju called, his voice shaky. Everyone turned around to face him – the fear in his voice was palpable, drawing everyone’s attention. “You know what this means, right?”

Youngjo frowned.

“Well, I’m guessing you’re referring to the prophecy?

“Dongju-ah, are you okay?” the tall man, Keonhee, placed an arm on Dongju’s shoulder, looking worried. 

“Yes, the prophecy, your majesty. The time has come.”

Hwanwoong shook his silver hair. 

“Seriously, you can’t actually believe in the prophecy! It’s so old. Surely, you don’t think that some evil monster from a thousand years ago will just be reborn again.”

Seoho knew what they were talking about. Every history book mentioned the prophecy, every child in this kingdom were taught about it. But it was indeed from such a long time ago that it didn’t seem real anymore, just folklore. In fact, no one at the Star Tower really believed in the prophecy either – their interest in Regulus and the red eclipse was purely scientific.

“Wait, does this mean it’s time for Helios to be reborn again? No way! What are we going to do?” Keonhee screamed in a panicked voice. It looked like he completely believed in the prophecy. He was backing away slowly, looking around him worriedly, as if he was worried Helios would just jump out from behind the trees and pounce at him any moment.

“Keonhee, just stay put-” Dongju started to say but too late, Keonhee had tripped on something and fell backwards, landing in a heap beneath an oak tree, crying out in pain.

He was about to move towards the tall man but Dongju got to his side first, muttering angrily under his breath.

“…seriously, for one second…does your brain know it’s attached to 4 limbs?”

Dongju suddenly stopped still, bent down by Keonhee’s side. Then he started scratching at the ground, moving some fallen leaves and snow hastily, as if looking for something.

“I need some light,” he said.

Seoho wasn’t sure where he was supposed to get light from, the king and his companion didn’t look interested in the request at all. Sighing, Hwanwoong picked up a stray branch and lit it with a matchstick from his pocket. Closing in on where Dongju was frantically searching the ground, he peered over his shoulder, semi-curious. Seoho joined him, his curiosity getting the better of him.

Dongju was trying to clear off an area of the ground where there seemed to be a piece of stone sticking out from the earth, almost like a headstone. This was probably what Keonhee had tripped on. He wasn’t sure why this stone was of so much interest to the scholar. it was old, grimy, chips wearing off it in places. Looking closer, he noticed that the stone seemed to be engraved with something – it was a hexagon with two half circles drawn inside. It didn’t look like a familiar symbol. He was about to back away when Hwanwoong gasped.

In the light of the fire, he noticed that Hwanwoong had gone pale.

“Do you know it?” Dongju asked him eagerly, pointing at the sign.

“It’s a shield…my family crest,” Hwanwoong said, astonished. “I have never seen this before, here.”

“There should be more around here, we must look for them.” Dongju sprang to his feet, his cloak swishing behind him. “Come on, look for them, we need more light.” 

His voice was authoritative all of a sudden and Seoho couldn’t help but follow his lead. He picked up another branch and lit it from the fire, looking around. He wasn’t sure exactly what he was searching for but he assumed that it was more of these stones with symbols. As a child, he was curious and he did enjoy the treasure hunts his grandfather used to plan for him. This just felt like another one, except the purpose of it was not very clear to him.

“What makes you think there are more?” the king finally asked. For the first time, there was a hint of annoyance in his voice. It was apparent that he wasn’t enjoying this sudden group activity in the middle of the forest in the cold.

“Your Majesty, it can’t be a coincidence, you being here tonight, the night the Regulus rose again.”

“What do you mean?”

Dongju opened and closed his mouth. He looked around – every eye was on him. Biting his lips, he finally said, “Your Majesty, you’re familiar with the legend? The war against Helios and how the human monarchs fought him off?”

Youngjo waved his hand dismissively.

“Of course I know, but what’s that got to do with this?”

In a frightfully steady voice, the scholar said, “Well, your majesty, the only direct bloodline of one of the monarchs is your family.”

This pronouncement turned all eyes towards Youngjo, albeit, guarded and more respectful. Seoho had never heard that. He did know about the War – the six human monarchs joining forces to banish Helios. He had assumed that in a thousand years, the bloodlines had disappeared.

“Are you – are you trying to say that I am…that I-”

“You are a direct descendant of the 1st monarch, the leader of the human army.”

“What about the rest of the monarchs?”

Dongju shook his head.

“The record of the direct bloodlines does not exist, save for the 1st monarch.” He perked up the next second. “But this, this can give us a clue.” He waved towards the headstone. “We need to find the rest.”

With Youngjo’s nod, the rest of them started to look for more of the stones. Seoho was searching in the area just opposite to where the first one was found when he noticed the corner of a stone. He made quick work of the leaves, snow, and dirt, to reveal a grey stone. There was an engraving on this as well – it was two circles, overlapping each other, with a star in the centre. 

“Two moons and a star,” he muttered, the words too familiar. “I found one,” he croaked, having trouble believing that this sign was here, of all places. He had seen it carved on the walls of the Star Tower. His grandfather had pointed them out to him – “See that Seoho, two moons with a star in the centre, that’s our pride, that’s our family crest.”

Dongju rushed to his side, inspecting the stone carefully.

“Two circles with a five-pointed star in the centre – does that mean anything to anyone?” he called out.

Everyone else shook their heads. 

“Lee Seoho, does this mean something to you?”

Feeling a wave of cold run down his spine, he nodded. 

“It’s my family crest,” he explained.

“I knew it!” Dongju punched his hand. “It’s not a coincidence.”

“I found one too,” Hwawoong and Geonhak called out at the same time.

“What are the engravings?”

“Mine is a…crown I guess? Looks like deer antlers mounted on a crown,” Geonhak said.

“And mine is…I think it’s two horns crossed,” Hwanwoong said.

“Horn from what animal?” Keonhee asked curiously.

“Not that kind of horn, the musical instrument.” 

Dongju smiled at Keonhee. "That’s your crest, isn’t it, Keonhee?”

“I don’t know if it’s a family crest but that’s how my father signed all his letters.”

“So does the crown mean it’s the royal family?”

“No, that’s my family crest,” Dongju said.

“This can’t be true. We all just happened to be here and our family crests just started appearing on the stones?” Hwanwoong blurts out. 

To be fair, it was quite strange that the emblems on the stones were all related to them somehow. If he was not a man of science, he would have said it was almost as if they were…destined to be here tonight.

“Maybe, you’re thinking about it the wrong way. Maybe, your signs are not here because you’re here, but you have been summoned here, because of your destiny,” Dongju claimed, looking around at them.

There was a moment of silence as it sunk in. Seoho didn’t know what to make of it – Dongju looked dependable. Even though he was young, his eyes looked ripe with wisdom. And he had of course heard the legendary tales and the prophecy – but could it actually be true?

"But if these crests have anything to do with the monarchs, shouldn't my family emblem be here as well?" Youngjo asked.

The scholar marched over to where he had found one of the stones. "Would you care to take a look, your majesty?"

The king slowly walked over to the stone. Hwanwoong held the fire closer so that he could have a look.

Youngjo gasped, placing a hand on his heart.

"I didn't know that was the royal family crest - a spear surrounded by a ring of fire. It looks good, powerful," Hwanwoong commented. 

"I don't believe this," Youngjo muttered under his breath.

“We need to find the last emblem,” Dongju urged, dropping to the floor to look around.

“Why do you think there will be another of these stones?” Geonhak asked stubbornly.

Smiling crookedly at him, Dongju said, “I say there is a sixth stone, with an engraving that means something to you.”

Geonhak shrugged his shoulders. “I doubt it, I’m just His Majesty’s soldier, I’m only here because he is here. Besides, I come from a small fisherman village, I highly doubt I have anything to do with destiny or whatever.”

There was an unfathomable smile on the scholar’s face; it was unsettling.

“I found it,” Keonhee shouted from where he was sat on the ground. “It looks like 3 waves and a fish on top, I think.”

While Dongju moved closer to have a look, the King’s personal guard looked frozen on the spot, his eyes wide.

“Nothing to do with destiny, you say.”

“It can’t be…” Geonhak finally pushed forward to have a look at Keonhee’s stone himself. “My dad used to always draw this on the sand because his father used to do the same before setting out fishing. It’s a sacred symbol for us.”

For the first time today, Seoho had seen the apparent brute show some emotion. His eyes were almost swimming, his facial features had softened, making him look vulnerable.

As Geonhak caressed the stone on the ground, the King stepped forward, crossing his arms on his chest, fixing the scholar with a calculating look.

“Son Dongju, what does this all mean? You’re the only one who seem to have any inkling of what’s going on. Unless you do as well?” He looked in Seoho’s direction, one eyebrow raised.

Seoho quickly shook his head. “I have heard the stories of course, but my interest in the Regulus is purely scientific.”

Taking a deep breath, Dongju stood up straight. In a grave voice, he said, “The prophecy tells us that Helios would return, stronger than ever. He will bring hell upon the humans, burn everything to the ground, punish the descendants of the armies that fought against him. All will tarnish in his wrath. That is, unless he is stopped.”

“Well, who would have enough power to stop Helios? We are talking about the deepest evil that ever lived, right?” Keonhee asked, his voice high with fear.

There was a thin smile on Dongju’s lips. “According to the prophecy, the only ones who can stop Helios are the descendants of the six monarchs who stopped him the first time.”

“That’s no good, is it? We only have one descendant that we know, how are we ever going to track down the rest if the bloodlines are lost,” Geonhak said grudgingly.

Dongju’s long eyelashes fluttered pleasantly as he looked around at all of them.

“Something tells me we don’t have to look too far.”


	3. Descendants

Geonhak caressed the cold stone, feeling the grooves of the waves and the outline of the fish against his fingers. The last time he had seen this symbol was 16 years ago, when his father had carved it into the sand the last time before setting out on his fishing trip.

“It’s a prayer to our ancestors to keep us safe,” he had said.

It hadn't been enough to keep them safe.

When his father hadn’t made it back, a turbulent storm swallowing him and his fishing boat, Geonhak had been brought to the palace, to be a companion to the prince. The first few days, he had haunted the palace like a ghost, lifeless, only doing things he had been ordered to do. He had stopped eating and drinking, the ache of losing his father raw and raging. The only person who had noticed that he wasn’t quite right was the crown prince himself. 

“Are you sad?” Youngjo had asked him, offering him an apple.

“My father is dead, I have no family, no home to go back to,” he had found himself opening up to the gentle prince, as if he had known him for a long time.

Youngjo had put an arm around him, smiling at him warmly. “I’ll be your family. I know it’s not perfect, but I’ll try to be a good family to you.”

There was so much empathy and good will in the 9-year old prince’s voice, such a soft sweetness in the depths of his eyes, that Geonhak couldn’t help but take his hand. That day, he had sworn to always be by the prince’s side – he wasn’t going to lose another family.

Youngjo was now his king, but it didn’t change anything. He would lay down his life willingly to protect him. He would readily hurt anyone who would dishonour Youngjo. He would do everything for him.

“I’m confused,” Hwanwoong said, “what are you implying, sir?” He was speaking to Dongju, his voice respectful. 

He didn’t like the silver-haired outlaw. It was terrible that he didn’t recognize the king. But worse than that was the way he looked at Youngjo. He hadn’t missed him trying to wink at Youngjo earlier – how dare he? Perhaps worst of all was the way Youngjo looked at him – with interest, with amusement, with…there was no way Youngjo would fancy an outlaw.

“You’re not saying – it can’t be – you can’t be implying that the six descendants…have been already gathered?” the astronomer boy asked. He really looked younger than his age. His skin was shining under the moonlight, his fiery hair curled and waved like a turbulent ocean. There was something about him that made Geonhak want to keep looking, but at the same time he was embarrassed to stare at him. The way he moved was agile, underneath the robe, his frame looked sturdy – he would have made a good soldier. 

He was so distracted by Seoho that he had completely missed what he had said.

But the others hadn’t and there was a collective gasp, some of the men shifting uncomfortably. Youngjo had a disbelieving look on his face.

“Surely, not?” Youngjo asked, with a little uncertain laugh.

Dongju blinked, a mysterious smile playing on his lips.

He moved to the centre of the circle they had all naturally come to stand in, spreading his arms and looking up at the sky.

“Look where we are, under the Regulus. Do you see anyone else around? We all somehow ended up here tonight, even though we didn’t have specific plans to gather here. Our family emblems are carved on the stones – do you really think this is just coincidence?”

While he tried to grasp the implication behind the scholar’s words, his head reeled. He had dreamed of glorious battles, of winning wars for Youngjo, of protecting him, but to think that he was destined for far more rattled him. Helios was a legend, a powerful being, the worst of all evil, and he was only just a human. How did he measure up against Helios? How would he protect Youngjo from Helios?

“Well, let’s say for a second you’re right,” Seoho was the first to recover from Dongju’s proclamation. “What now? We are hardly worriers. I mean the only one who has any power is his majesty – he has an army. The rest of us are…I mean I am an astronomer, I’ve never picked up a sword in my life.”

“Excuse me, we’re not all powerless, okay?” Hwanwoong found his voice too. He pulled a dagger out of the folds on his boots. “I know how to protect myself plenty.” Despite his height, he was fiery; even more reason to keeo him under strict observation. 

“That’s cute, but how are you going hold up against Helios, do you think?” Keonhee sneered. Despite his sarcastic tone, his eyes looked panicked. It was no doubt that he was the one who had been most affected. He had probably never even laid eyes on an unsheathed sword.

Hwanwoong was about to retaliate but Dongju stopped him with a gesture.

“Here’s an idea, why don’t we all stand beside our emblems. If you look, you’ll see there seems to be a footplate in front of every stone.”

“What exactly are you expecting will happen?”

“Why don’t we find out.”

Begrudgingly, they all moved to their respective stones. Geonhak could see what Dongju meant. There was a depression in front of the stones, the right size for a pair of feet to stand on. He followed the scholar’s instructions, it couldn’t hurt. Youngjo looked at him, as if asking for assurance. He nodded.

When Dongju finally moved in position, he thought he felt a small quake under his feet.

“What was that?” he asked, looking around to see if anyone else felt the same.

“What’s what?” Youngjo asked, confused.

“There was a small shake, no?”

Keonhee rolled his eyes but before he could make a snarky comment, the ground started shaking. The sudden shock in everyone else’s visage told him that they could all feel it. While he looked for a tree to steady himself, Keonhee screamed and the ground under them completely gave away. He felt an emptiness as he fell but it ended as abruptly as it had begun. They couldn’t have fallen for more than a few feet.

“What the hell, is Helios trying to kill us already?” Keonhee’s annoyed voice rang through. 

“If it’s this easy to kill you then Helios has already won,” Hwanwoong replied but he didn’t sound pleased either.

It was as if they had fallen into a well, a shallow and broad well. At the centre, there was ring of stones in the middle of which a roaring fire sprang to life, throwing shadow on the stone walls. Dusting off some of the rubble, Geonhak got to his feet, alert. His eyes searched for Youngjo.

The king was getting to his feet as well. He rushed forward.

“Are you okay, Youngjo? I mean your majesty?” In his panic, he had forgotten than they had company. 

“Youngjo?” Hwanwoong called out from the other end of the room. “That is indeed a name fit for a king.”

“Don’t you dare take the king’s name!” Geonhak warned viciously.

“You just did,” he pointed out indignantly.

“Quiet, do you hear that?” Keonhee was looking around with a confused expression on his face. “They’re … speaking…to us.”

Straining his ear, Geonhak tried to hear for any sound but it was dead quiet apart from the roaring fire.

“What are they saying Keonhee?” Dongju asked eagerly.

“Wait, you believe him when he’s saying he can hear things we can’t?” Hwanwoong turned to Youngjo, rolling his eyes and pointing to his head. 

Geonhak let out a low growl. How dare the outlaw treat the king like a friend? But there were more pressing matters at hand so he couldn't confront the younger. Besides, Youngjo was obviously encouraging him. His heart constricted painfully.

“I’ve told you, I can hear things others can’t.”

When Hwanwoong let out a dismissive laugh, Seoho and Youngjo joining him, Dongju turned on them angrily, hands on his hips.

“Have none of you noticed anything strange about yourselves? Anything you couldn’t quite explain? Have you been able to do something that others can’t?”

It was getting a bit too fantastical for Geonhak and he was about to snort when a small feeling tugged inside him. It was a feeling he had pushed down his gullet in order to stop himself from remembering it. He gulped, wondering if Youngjo remembered.

It had been a stormy day, rain pouring down and leaves blowing about. Despite his pleading, Youngjo had wanted to go swimming in the ocean. They had snuck out of the palace and made their way to the beach. Geonhak had begged Youngjo not to go in as he watched the crude waves slapping against the sand with force. But the young prince had not listened. Within a few moments, the wild sea had swallowed the prince’s slender body. He had called his name until his throat burned, the rain stinging his eyes – or had it been his tears?

“Stop, stop, stop,” he had screamed at the relentless waves, his body on fire. Swinging about drunkenly while the water quickly climbed up his body, he had willed the ocean to calm down. 

And it had.

Like magic, the waves crashed with one last vengeance and stayed still. The wind and the rain raged on but the waves were still like he had never seen them before. He had no time to marvel at what had happened.

“Youngjo, Youngjo, where’s Youngjo? I need him here, now!”

He wasn’t sure who he was talking to but the waves started undulating again but with much less intensity than before, and with one swoop, carried Youngjo to the shore. He had rushed to snatch the young prince’s body from the water and took him, far away, before putting him down on the ground and breathing air into his lungs. Youngjo had woken up spluttering and blue in the face, but he was alive.

When he had looked out at the ocean again, the crashing waves had been back without mercy. He had never mentioned it to anyone else. He had no idea what had happened – perhaps someone had answered his prayers. But he was too afraid to find out what it meant. Therefore, he had chosen to forget it.

Until tonight.

When he looked up, he saw Seoho’s eyes were on him. 

“Well?”

Everyone looked uncomfortable, either staring at the ground or at the walls. No one spoke. 

“I’ll go first – I can commune with the dead.”

It was a mark of how much their memories had rattled them that no one disputed Dongju’s claim. It seemed everyone had remembered things from the past that didn't wish to recall.

“Not quite, I mean sometimes I can see through the eyes of the dead. I can’t control it very much yet, but from time to time, it happens.”

“They want to show you,” Keonhee suddenly said. “They want to show you something, Dongju-ah, something important.”

“Very well.”

Taking a deep breath, Dongju closed his eyes. They all watched with bated breath, but nothing happened. There were no fiery jolts, Dongju’s body didn’t shake – he just looked like he was deeply asleep. And then, he opened his eyes.

Geonhak gasped loudly, jumping back a few steps.

The scholar’s eyes had turned electric blue, his pupils had vanished. There was something very unnerving about it. His body was very still as he gazed into nothingness.

“Dongju-ah?” Keonhee called cautiously, not daring to touch him.

Dongju opened his mouth but the voice that came out was not his. It sounded like an old woman.

“I’m the Oracle, Lady Innocence. I have waited a thousand years for this day. It is my job to guide the descendants of the six monarchs.”

They exchanged looks, not quite believing what they were hearing.

“So we are – we are the true descendants of the six monarchs?” Youngjo asked, biting his lips.

“Indeed, you have been summoned, even though you know it not, by Regulus. But the time has come for you to take up swords against Helios.”

“Most of us are not swordsman, we’re not an army,” Seoho said, his voice even. It seemed like he had managed to collect himself. “How can we defeat Helios?”

It was amazing that in all this madness, Seoho was still thinking straight, asking questions that made sense. Geonhak didn’t think he could produce a coherent sentence right now.

“You may not be an army, but you’re all fighters. It is in your blood. And you have special gifts, that has been passed on from your ancestors. The six monarchs had received the blessings of Regulus, giving them powers beyond that mortal men have. You have all inherited those powers, though you may know it not yet.”

“Is there no way of stopping Helios from rising again? What if we stop him from coming back?” Seoho asked. He was thinking like a battle strategist. Geonhak was surprised that for someone who had no experience with warfare how quickly he had adapted to thinking about strategies. Respect blossomed in his heart for the man who claimed to be a year older than him, although he didn't look it. He probably had soft hands, not blistered like his, gentle, like his smile. Shaking the silly thoughts off, he focused once again on Dongju, or the Oracle.

“The prophecy is that Helios will rise.”

“But is there no way to stop him?”

The Oracle fell quiet.

“It’s up to you.”

“What does that mean?” Geonhak finally pulled together to utter a sentence.

“You must go and find the Crown, the source of their power, that the six monarchs buried at the end of the war to stop people from fighting over it. You will reach your full potential when you place the Crown on the 1st monarch’s head.” He nodded at Youngjo.

Dongju extended his hand and blue flames suddenly erupted from his palm, which burned away, leaving what looked like a scroll.

“This will take you to where the Crown is buried.”

“But Seoho has a point, what if we try to stop Helios before he rises?”

“You will fail.”

“There’s no harm in trying.”

After another long pause, the Oracle said, “Helios’ soul is buried deep in the ground, beneath the Dragon. If you get to it and destroy it first, he will not be able to rise again. But…”

“But what?”

“There are dangers. No mortal men or evil ghouls can defeat you. But if blood turns on blood, innocence will become sin, and darkness will rise, deeper.”

“What does that mean?”

Before the Oracle could answer, Dongju’s body started shaking violently, and he fell to the floor in a heap, as if all the air had been knocked out of his body.  
Keonhee quickly got to him, picking him up. When he opened his eyes again, they had turned to their normal state.

“She said to heed her warning, the Oracle,” Keonhee said.

“That was amazing!” Hwanwoong exclaimed. “I’ve never seen anything like that before!”

“Don’t act like it was a cheap magic trick,” Geonhak scolded him, slightly disgusted by how excited he looked.

“Are you okay, Dongju?”

“I’m fine.” Dongju’s voice had returned to normal too. 

“What did the last bit mean?” Seoho asked eagerly. “Was that a riddle? If blood turns on blood, innocence will become sin?”

Shaking his head, the scholar sat up. “I don’t know.”

“So that’s it? We are the great warriors who will defeat Helios?” Hwanwoong’s voice was skeptical. “I mean, have any of you held a sword?”

Geonhak did not appreciate his mocking tone but the truth was, apart from him and Youngjo, no one knew how to fight. Hwanwoong claimed to be trained in combat but he didn’t hold much hope for the outlaws’ primitive weapons and techniques. They didn’t have long till Helios would rise so there wasn’t any time to train anyone. It put them in a very difficult situation.

“How am I supposed to know that I’m the great descendant of one of the monarchs? If I did, I would have trained to become a soldier,” Keonhee responded tartly.

“What kind of man doesn’t know how to yield a sword,” the short man snorted.

“The kind of man who doesn’t hold prejudices,” Seoho replied immediately. “Anyway, it might not end up being important in the end.”

They all looked at him questioningly. 

Shrugging his shoulders, he said, “The Oracle said we will reach our full potentials when we acquire the Crown. I’m guessing she meant about our powers.” 

“Aha, so you do have unnatural ability,” Dongju said victoriously.

Seoho started. “I m-mean…I g-guess…” he stuttered, “I wouldn’t exactly call it an ability but umm, it’s happened to me before. I don’t know how to explain it but basically I can absorb energy, I think, in most forms.”

“Tell me what you’ve experienced.”

Massaging the back of his neck, Seoho said sheepishly, “I first realized it because I was struck by lightning. And…nothing happened. I mean I felt very hot and lost consciousness but I didn’t die. And then one time, I was attacked by some rogue bandits and one of them was choking the life out of me and I was holding onto his hand and … he just grew weaker and weaker, as if the soul was being sucked out of him. He fell to the floor limply, and I managed to do the same to his friend.” He paused, sighing, “I have been looking for a scientific explanation for this but never found any.”

“It will be important, when the time comes,” the scholar assured. “I believe we all have unique abilities, which will be the key to defeating Helios. We must practice using our powers, we have to stop being afraid of them.”

“Exactly how is hearing too well going to help us?” Hwanwoong stuck his tongue out at Keonhee.

“You never know.”

“Well, I will return to the palace immediately, and get my army ready.” Youngjo announced. There was a war coming and like a true king, Youngjo had taken control. 

“I’m afraid this is not the type of war that can be fought by armies, your majesty,” Dongju said reverently. “It was the monarchs who had defeated Helios last time, not their soldiers.” When Youngjo did not look convinced, Dongju approached him with an earnest look in his eyes. 

Geonhak immediately positioned himself in between them, even though he knew the slender scholar meant no harm. It was just a conditioned reflex.

“Besides, I'm sure you don't want to put your mortal soldiers at the face of such devilish danger, knowing they won't stand a chance. Time is of the essence, and you, as the heir of the 1st monarch, have a very important role to play. You must bear the Crown, and the responsibilities that come with it. You must be our leader. And you have to trust me.”

“Why should he trust you anymore than he trusts any of us?” Hwanwoong interjected. The little elf was now really getting on his nerves. Why was he interrupting when important people were having a conversation?

“Your Majesty,” Dongju implored, raising his eyes to look at the King directly. Geonhak would have normally taken offence that a subject was looking the king straight in the eyes but there was something about the scholar that he couldn’t quite put his finger on that made him reluctant to challenge him. Whether it was the wisdom in his eyes or the noble air about him, he didn’t know. The slightly throbbing light brown orbs held a different kind of power.

“Your Majesty, look into my eyes and decide whether to trust me or not.”

Finally breaking eye contact, after what felt like minutes, Youngjo said, “Fine. But everyone will worry if I just suddenly disappear. Someone has to take a message to the palace. Tell Dongheon to run things while I’m away.”

Dongheon was Youngjo’s step-brother and also the prime minister. In his absence, like when he went travelling or hunting, Dongheon ran the day-to-day affairs of the kingdom. He was a gentle man with a strong sense of leadership. He had proved himself and was also loyal to Youngjo, unlike some of his other step-brothers. 

“Geonhak, you should probably carry the message.”

“Your Majesty, forgive me, but I will not leave your side.”

Youngjo probably knew this was one argument he wouldn’t win. 

“Any volunteers?” he asked.

“I can do it,” Keonhee said chirpily, “I can grab us some food as well.”

Something told Geonhak that the main reason the singer had volunteered was because he was hungry and wanted food.

“You should travel with someone else, it’s not safe, by yourself.”

“Why would it not be safe? Helios is still 10 days away.”

“Helios has his servants, ghouls who had managed to escape the First War. They will also have seen Regulus and will be getting ready for another battle. They will be able to smell you.” Dongju said.

"The ghouls lived? You seem to know so much about this," Seoho said, impressed.

"I read," Dongju said curtly. "The ghouls can procreate. They lived in hiding all through the years, under the Morgue mountains."

No one ever went to the Morgue Mountains - it was a cursed topic. Some said they were haunted, while others said they were cursed. But it was probably the ghouls that kept people away from the mountains.

“Well, I guess I am the only one who has any combat experience so I’ll escort him,” Hwanwoong said carelessly. “I’ve always wanted to see the palace.”

“An outlaw in the palace!” Geonhak gasped. "That's ridiculous!"

However, it was decided that it made sense for someone armed to accompany Keonhee. Youngjo scribbled a few lines on a scroll and put the royal seal on it, entrusting it to Keonhee. Before the two set off, they decided to make a plan for their journeys.

They unfurled the map the Oracle had left them and studied it, choosing the best route to follow. They agreed that they should make their way to the Iron Gates first, where the Crown was, before trying to find where Helios’s soul was buried. It would take them roughly a day to cover the grounds. Since Keonhee and Hwanwoong would take a detour to the palace, they would reach a couple of hours behind them. Youngjo quickly copied the map onto another scroll - he was always a wizard with a quill – and gave it to the pair of them. They had also been given the task of bringing back four more horses. 

Since only Youngjo and Geonhak had their horses with them, they would have to give the other two a ride. Dongju smartly jumped onto the back of Youngjo’s horse while Seoho sprung onto Geonhak’s with surprising agility. They finally set out, Keonhee and Hwanwoong on foot, promising to meet soon.

The bleak unknown waved at them carelessly.


	4. Palace By Night

To Keonhee’s surprise, Hwanwoong was able to keep up with him. 

What with his short legs, he had thought that he wouldn’t be able to match his stride, but somehow the spritely fellow was never a step behind.

His first impression of the outlaw wasn’t the best. He seemed to be the one who was taking all of this too lightly. Keonhee had a bad reputation of being too carefree but compared to Hwanwoong, he was almost a scholar. Besides, the man had also poked fun at him more than once. 

“So, court singer, how’s that like?” Hwanwoong was the first one to break the silence between them. “Do you umm please the courtiers any other way?”

“I don’t sleep with them, if that’s what you’re asking.”

“I didn’t say that,” he protested but he looked guilty. “I was just curious, that’s all. Like why does the court even need singers?”

“Only a moron would say that,” Keonhee said, taking this opportunity to get back at Hwanwoong. “For all the functions, celebrations, visiting dignitaries, you name it. Sometimes the King just feels like listening to music.”

One of his earliest memories was to become a singer. His mother had a beautiful voice and she would sing enchanting lullabies to him and his sisters when they were tucked into bed. He had inherited his mother’s voice, everyone said. His father was disappointed when he did not follow his path to become a merchant but he neither understood trade, nor liked it. However, when he heard Keonhee sing, even his father admitted that he had the voice of an angel. 

Lining up with throngs of young, beautiful singers to be chosen by the court had been the most nerve-wracking thing he had done in his life. He passed all the stages of audition and the final selection was made by the late king himself. When he was picked, with three others, he couldn’t believe his luck. It was the highest honour for a singer and entertainer to be chosen by the Royal Court.

Besides singing, his other dream was to live a luxurious life and the court provided just that. He had a choice of expensive robes to wear, any jewelry he would like even if it had to be brought from overseas, and anything he would want to eat. The late King treated the court entertainers extremely well and they were well looked after. Youngjo didn’t take much interest in them – he was more into art and spent spare times painting. He knew this because he had seen the current King with his own eyes, in the garden, drawing a portrait of his guard, Geonhak. 

Suddenly finding out that he was a descendant of the legendary monarchs had occupied him with mixed feelings. He couldn’t help but feel proud, that he came from such noble bloodline. But at the same time, he didn’t know the first thing about fighting a war and that filled him with dread. It wasn’t just any mortal army they were talking about either – it was Helios. 

As a child, he had heard many stories about Helios, the unthinkable evil, the unlimited power. Was this being of legend actually going to materialize in front of them and he would have to actively take part in banishing him? 

If he had not been there to witness everything tonight, he would have laughed at anyone who would have suggested that it was his destiny to defeat Helios.

He wasn’t the only dead beat in the band though, Dongju had never touched a sword either. Dongju came from a long line of scholars, men whose wisdom were unmatched and while he may have read about several wars, he had never participated in any. When he first arrived at the palace, a lot of people said he and Dongju looked alike. It annoyed him extremely – he didn’t want to look like someone, especially no one as short as Dongju. But over the years, they had grown to become fast friends, even though it still bothered him if someone said he looked like him.

He hated to admit it, but Hwanwoong was annoyingly right – they weren’t the right kind of people to defeat Helios. 

“So, are you and Son Dongju-ssi related?”

He liked to think he wasn’t a violent person but he had a sudden urge to choke the life out of Yeo Hwanwoong.

“Why would you say that?” he asked through gritted teeth. 

“You look alike.”

“We do not! You saw wrong, it was pretty dark.”

“Okay,” Hwanwoong shrugged. “But seriously though, do you really hear things that others can’t? That must be awesome!”

From his tone, he couldn’t understand if he was making fun of him or if he was genuinely impressed.

“For the last time, yes I can. It wasn’t great at first, I heard all the secrets the adults tried to keep from me. When my dad passed away, my mother didn’t want to tell us right away but I heard. There were kids at school who didn’t like me, who thought I was a loser – I heard all of that. When I confessed to my first love, the rejection was immediate. It’s not always good.”

He had bent his head down, hoping Hwanwoong didn’t see how teary he had become. It was dark but he didn’t want to take chances. 

There was a pause before Hwanwoong said, “I’m sorry.” He looked sheepish but he seemed to be bursting with more questions. "How did you get rejected? I mean, how did you know you got rejected?"

He started. He had been emotional and rambly - he never thought Hwanwoong would catch on.

"You have to be able to hear their thoughts," Hwanwoong chuckled but then stopped laughing when he saw how quiet Keonhee was. "No way, really?"

"Sometimes...I have to concentrate really hard and have to have a very strong connection with the person..." He wasn't sure why he was trying to hide this. In the end, it was better for everyone to know what he could and could not do, especially the people he would fight next to. 

He wasn't sure if Hwanwoong believed him or not but the outlaw didn't say anything more. They walked in silence for a good half an hour, the snow and leaves crunching under their feet, until they were out of the woods. He took the high road to the palace that provided more cover. It wasn’t unsafe to travel at night, but since Dongju had talked about the ghouls, he was worried one or two would suddenly pop up. 

It was way too quiet. “What about you? Why did you become an outlaw?”

“I was born an outlaw. But I don’t see why would anyone want a king. Your freedom is taken away, you have to consider the royal family superior – why would you willingly want that?”

Keonhee had never thought about it. But he had also never felt that he didn’t have any freedom. Of course there were palace rules he had to follow, like curfews and certain etiquettes, but he had chosen to do this job.

“I don’t mind following a king – it gives you a protector, you know someone who would fight for you.”

Hwanwoong whistled. “If you learned to fight for yourself, you wouldn’t need a king.”

“Stop it, okay. His Majesty is a good king. His father was a good king.”

“See, it gets passed on from father to son, we don’t have a say in choosing our leader. How can that be fair? What if they weren't good kings - then what?”

He now regretted starting this conversation.

“So you hate the king?”

“I don’t hate him. I mean, he has a pretty face.”

Keonhee shivered; if only Geonhak was here to hear this.

“He just doesn’t have a pretty face, he is good at art as well.”

“That is so sweet.”

Instead of replying, he sped up. He liked to talk but he didn’t like Hwanwoong’s attitude. He was daring, no doubt, but a bit too much.

“Don’t run in the dark,” the little man called out behind him, “you’ll fall.”

He increased his speed. But as fate would have it, just as Yeo Hwanwoong had said, he fell face first, loosing his footing on a loose rock on the way.

The embarrassment was worse than the pain in his twisted ankle.

“Told you.” Hwanwoong couldn’t have been more smug. “Take my hand.”

He offered his hand that he took reluctantly because there was no way he was standing up on his own. Begrudgingly, he put half his weight on Hwanwoong, unable to flatten his right foot to put any weight through it.

They took a few steps but pain shot through his foot into his thigh, causing him to cry out.

“I’m fine,” he said, trying to conceal the tears in his eyes.

Sighing, Hwanwoong said, “Climb up to my back, I’ll give you a ride.”

“Absolutely not, I have my pride.”

“And we have a mission,” he reminded him. “This is only going to delay us.”

“You go ahead, I’ll follow behind.” It took him everything to utter those words through the pain.

Hwanwoong was about to laugh dismissively and point out that he was in no fit state to walk by himself but seemed to change his mind at the last minute.

“I don’t know the way to the palace, remember? I need you to come with me.”

Keonhee’s jaw dropped – was Hwanwoong actually being nice to him?

“Fine, you’re so helpless,” he muttered under his breath, jumping onto Hwanwoong’s back. The shorter man somehow managed to carry him off the ground, although not too high off the ground. It slowed him down considerably, but they made their way, Hwanwoong grunting now and then, pausing to reposition Keonhee on his back.

When they finally reached the mighty entrance to the palace, two guards came up to them. 

“I’m here on the king’s orders, him too,” Keonhee said, showing them the scroll with the royal seal.

“Master Keonhee, you’re not supposed be out of the palace at night,” one of the guards recognized him.

“I was with his majesty,” he said importantly.

“I’ll carry him,” the taller guard said. From his voice, he recognized that it was Younghoon. Now a lot of the royal guards flirted with him but no one was as intense or persistent as Kim Younghoon. He had rejected all of their advances, but Younghoon had not given up.

“Nah, it’s fine, I can manage,” Hwanwoong panted.

“You certainly can’t.” Younghoon didn’t wait for an answer and almost forced Keonhee from Hwanwoong’s back into his arms, putting one hand behind his neck and the other behind his knees.

“Umm…thanks, Younghoon?” As awkward as this was, he felt a lot more comfortable, no offence to Hwanwoong.

“Ouch, my back,” Hwanwoong said, making him frown. It wasn’t his fault, it was him that had insisted on carrying him. 

“There’s some balm in my room.”

Younghoon carried him to his room where he applied the balm to his feet and flicked it to Hwanwoong so that he could use it for his back. Bandaging his foot tightly with some clean cloth, he headed out again. Younghoon was waiting outside his door.

“I’ll manage,” he tried to smile at the guard but he didn’t look impressed.

“Let me,” he lifted him up again to his embarrassment. “So, why were you out with his majesty” Younghoon stared at him intensely, his eyes roving around his face and neck, as if looking for something.

“It wasn’t like that,” Keonhee clutched his robe at his neckline. “I was just…there were other people there as well, Dongju, Yeo Hwanwoong…”

“Who is that man who carried you here?”

What was this, an interrogation?

“That’s Yeo Hwanwoong, he’s a-” he stopped himself before saying outlaw. An outlaw would not be welcome at the palace. “A friend of Dongju’s.”

“You’re always with Master Dongju,” Younghoon complained, scowling. He had a very handsome face, sharp nose bridge, cut-out features. Keonhee wasn’t sure why he didn’t feel attracted to him. It was almost as if he already had someone in his mind, someone he longed for.

“Dongju is my best friend,” he offered as way of explanation. “Take me to the prime minister’s chambers, will you?”

He requested an audience with Dongheon, who to his credit, saw him, even though it was the middle of the night. He handed over the scroll. After reading thoroughly, Dongheon looked up, frowning. His eyes were concerned.

“What is he doing? It’s not dangerous, is it?” 

“Umm…” Keonhee did not know how to answer that. “I- think he knows what he is doing, sire.”

“I could help him if he would just tell me what he’s doing.”

“You are helping him, sire, by running things while he is busy.”

Dongheon smiled. “Thanks Keonhee, I see why they say you have a honeyed voice. Even the way you talk is pretty.”

Keonhee bowed. “I must leave now, sire.”

“Oh yes, take the horses. Younghoon!” he called.

The guard stepped into the room, bowing.

“Give them the best of our horses and make sure they have enough provisions for the road.”

“Yes, sire.”

While the kitchen prepared and pack food and drinks for them, Keonhee tucked into a hearty dinner, enjoying the taste of hot food. Who knew how long it would be before he got to taste it again? Hwanwoong was digging in earnestly, having never had palace food, it was paradise for him.

“So what’s your power?” Keonhee asked, washing down the rich broth with milk tea. 

“Power?”

“Yeah, you know, how we will have supernal abilities.”

Hwanwoong took a long drag of the soup. “Dunno.”

“How do you not know?”

“Don’t think I have found it.” His eyes were darting around, he was obviously trying to avoid talking about the topic.

“Is it something dumb, like you know how many leaves a tree has?”

“Shut up.” Hwanwoong ducked his head and became very interested in his soup bowl. 

“Is it to shrink in size?”

“I said shut up!”

Keonhee was enjoying this. For the first time, he was seeing Hwanwoong frazzled. Leaning forward, he whispered, “Is it to become so tiny that you disappear?”

In the blink of an eye, Hwanwoong disappeared. Keonhee was so shocked that he fell backwards, the scream stuck in his throat. He suddenly felt freezing cold.

“H-h-hwanwoong? Where are you, come back! You’re scaring me.”

In an instant, Hwanwoong reappeared in exactly the place he was seating at. He clutched his face and then ran his hands across his body, as if having trouble believing that he was there.

“What did you do?” they both cried at the same time and then looked at each other puzzled.

“What do you mean, you disappeared,” Keonhee accused, “is that your power?”

“I didn’t do it, you idiot, you must have done something.”

Keonhee was taken aback. “How would I do it?”

“How should I know?”

Breathing heavily, they tried to gather themselves. They were both shocked beyond their wits. It was obvious that it had never happened to Hwanwoong before. But Keonhee had never really talked something into reality either.

“Should we check who it was?” he suggested.

“How do we do that?” 

“Well, you try to disappear again and I’ll try and see if I can make you do something else.”

“Fine.”

Hwanwoong went first, but no matter how hard he tried, he was still very much visible. Giving up, he asked Keonhee to go.

“Okay, I hope you become as small as an ant.”

“Hey!” Hwanwoong protested but nothing actually happened.

“What, so it’s neither of us?”

“Maybe you have to say it in a specific way. You whispered the last time.”

“That’s so strange-wait! Could it actually be the key of my voice?”

Nodding enthusiastically, Hwanwoong said, “Yes, you should try speaking in the same key. This time, ask for me to be taller.”

“Okay, I hope you slap yourself as hard as you can.”

Without warning, Hwanwoong raised his hand. At first, Keonhee thought he was about to hit him for fooling around but to his surprise, Hwanwoong slapped himself across the cheek. The sound was loud and his cheek quickly grew red and warm.

“I’m so going to kill you-” This time Hwanwoong raised his hand to hit Keonhee, who blocked it with his arms, still reeling from the realization that he could make things happen by talking to people.

After trying to hit him a few more times, Hwanwoong calmed down. 

“So, it’s your ability. Shall we test out a few more? But I swear if you joke once again-”

They try out a few more commands, but shockingly, some of them work, others don’t. For example, any order that Hwanwoong could not physically do didn’t work, such as becoming taller or shorter or his nose growing. However, commands such as throwing a bowl to the floor and standing on his hands worked just fine.

“Why did the disappearance act work then?”

“How am I supposed to know?”

They thought about it for a bit longer but decided to give up. Maybe Dongju would know. They were aware that they had to move along. 

Younghoon carried Keonhee to the horse, even though his foot was a lot better now and he was perfectly capable of walking. But Younghoon could be so pushy. 

“I don’t know what you’re doing and I won’t ask,” he said, helping him with the reigns. “But be safe, won’t you?”

Gulping, Keonhee said, “I’ll try.” He really would, he didn't want to die.

The horses trotted up to the main gate.

“That soldier likes you,” Hwanwoong said.

“Wow, I haven’t noticed.”

“You haven’t?”

“I was being sarcastic.” Keonhee rolled his eyes. “It’s a bit hard to not notice, he lays it on too thick.” 

“You said that right.” Hwanwoong laughed. “By the way, Youngjo isn’t married, is he?”

“You mean his majesty? You know you’re going to get yourself killed.”

“I know that, Helios might kill us all.”

“No! I mean the Captain of King’s guard will kill you if he hears you taking his name like this.”

“Whatever,” Hwanwoong threw his head back and laughed. “I don’t have a king, remember? So tell me now, is he married or what?”

“No. Single as far as I know.”

“Great!”

“Do you really think an outlaw like you has a chance with his majesty?”

“Hey, we might all die in 10 days once Helios is back, you have to take all the chances.”

He didn’t like Hwanwoong joking about Helios and the thought of it filled his heart with lead but…he turned around to glance at Younghoon, who was still standing by the gate, watching them. 

Did he treat him too coldly? Would he regret it?

If he survived this battle with Helios, he would do something to make it up.


End file.
